For those whose professional lives ...

For those whose professional lives roll round an axis around food, it only stands to reason that their abode kitchens would pull out all the stops.

with equal reason it's not surprising that Klaus Fritsch, the co-founder of Morton's, The Steakhouse, has a wood-land stove and three sinks in the kitchen of his advanced in years Town home; that Michael Kornick, chef/owner of mk the restaurant, has sum of two units dishwashers and a $13,000 professional kitchen cover designed by a San Francisco architect in his Evanston family or that Dean Eliacostas, executive chef of Carmichael's Chicago Steak House, has a GE convection oven in his Lockport place of abode

While Todd Stein, executive chef of mk might not have the optimal state-of-the-art kitchens that Fritsch and Kornick be delighted with nor the large fully-functional kitchen Eliacostas and his wife, Jennifer Ann, have in their dwelling Stein tends to have the greatest in number in common with Chicago residents: He is making the best of limited kitchen space, having lately rented a seventh-floor condo in the southern Loop.

And, like Fritsch, Kornick and Eliacostas, Stein has definite opinions about what is and isn't necessityed in home kitchens.

Stein, who awaited at 12 condos before deciding in succession the last one, has become an apt on how to improve efficiency in kitchen space constraints. A metal work table with a shelf is a Stein must for a kitchen with insufficient contrary space and no island nevertheless he readily admits many tiny kitchens don't have latitude for a table.

Stein's other recommendations for improving small kitchen efficiency include:

- Clean as you go: "Don't create an overwhelming mes or you'll be overwhelmed."

- Install a magnetic board for knives above your work space: "Ikea has a great magnetic board for $10 -- that's what I have."

- Store your repeatedly used small appliances and tools onward the shelf underneath the table: "Keep in opposition to space open for working, not for storage."

- A garbage disposal and advantageous garbage can: "It's worth each penny to buy a two-sided garbage can at the Container Store for $200"

The four foodies agree it's imperative that individuals assess their avow cooking and baking needs before purchasing expensive equipment and precious space-consuming kitchen tools and gadgets that aren't necessary.

Stein still giggles about visiting a home couple years after the owners had purchased a $4000 stove: "I uncloseed the oven and the racks were still tied in -- and the instructional manual was still inside the oven! It's surprising to me that populace will spend that much forward a stove and then not use it. A kitchen should be to use."

Kornick is equally amused by dint of people who will spend $4000 for a top-of-the-line stove and re-do their whole kitchen further "have only one pot -- with indentations in it -- a frayed ligneous spoon from 1975 when a spoon take away froms less than $2, and a 10-year-old policeman when a peeler is $199"

"Of course, I behold people who have wonderful cleanliness and hygiene habits who stick a receptacle of baking soda in their refrigerator and rely upon miracles. They don't ever think of taking everything public of their refrigerator and cleaning it from top to bottom," Kornick adds.

Fritsch, who interviewed four architects before selecting individual for his eight-year-old home, believes "it's stupid for commonalty to spend money on an optimal kitchen for indicate or because Susie next door has one"

"If you prepare for the table once or twice a year, don't purchase super-expensive equipment. My stove gazes like it's used because I use it. I have a big kitchen with a globular wooden dining table that seats eight, a forest-land stove, a TV and a fireplace because my friends are always in my kitchen," explains Fritsch, who is touring the United States promoting his recently-published Morton's Steak Bible cookbook Fritsch, who one time entertained 110 in his hearth likes to grill steaks, lamb, chicken, barbecued ribs and vegetables year-round forward the deck outside his kitchen.

"You don't have to dissipate thousands of dollars all at formerly on equipment and gadgets," Eliacostas advises. "Instead, little by means of little, add investments. Spend cash wisely on quality rather than purchasing inexpensive things and replacing them."

Not unlike greatest in number people who love to falsify the four have gadgets they cherish.

For Eliacostas, who give a color tos for 40 family members at Easter, it's his grandmother's 40-year-old rolling pin ("I can't find another individual like it."). The father of 9-month-old Sammy lists his Kitchen-Aid mixer, feed processor, stick blender, zesters, apple policeman sturdy whisks, ricer, juicer and pasta roller as favorites.

Stein and his girlfriend, Aubrey Concar, director of off-premise catering for Hyatt -- whom he describes as "the issues queen who is as choke to Martha Stewart as it gets" -- rely forward their favorite mixer, blender and Cuisinart especially for holiday entertaining. And Stein confesse he couldn't exist without Tupperware and Glad containers in various sizes: "I like those things for prepping and for storage."

Kornick, who has relinquished kitchen duties at mk to exhaust more time with his family and work for as a consultant-partner for the restaurant Nine, spectre Bar, Rain Night Club and Skin plash Lounge in the Palms inn in Las Vegas and the recently-open soul Bar in Dallas, has three surprises in succession his favorites list: a microwave oven toaster oven and manual juice squeezer